Lavatory-cabinet



1941. A. P. DRUCKENMILLER 2,229,060

LAVATORY-CABINET Original Filed May 6, 1958 7/ ML/M44 INVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 21, 1941 UNITED STAEd FATE FFEQ

Application May 6, 1938, Serial No. 206,459 Renewed April 13, 19%

ll Claims.

This invention relates to bathroom fixtures, and particularly to an improved cabinet for assembled association with an independent tub.

In the past it has been customary to support 5 the rough brass valves and fittings for the plumbing of tubs and showers in the walls adjacent to the tubs, with consequent possibility that the setting may not be mechanically exactly proper when the plasterers, tile-setters-and the like have 10 completed their tasks. Owing to possible varia tions in the depth or angle of setting of the rough fittings, due to various factors, such as obstructions in the walls, for instance, or to the variations in plaster depth, and the like, it fre- 15 quently happens that the spindles of the valves must be removed and replaced with others of differing lengths in order to secure the proper extended length as to receive the trimmings for the valves. Obviously this is both expensive and 20 time consuming.

With all bathroom fixtures the trap for the drain of the tub must be rendered accessible for cleaning, and this involves either an exposure of the trap in the floor of the bathroom, or its concealment in a wall or the like, subject to the provision of an access door or the like in the Wall so that the trap may be reached. This frequently places an access door in an unsightly exposed relation in a room such as in that beyond 2 the bathroom, and is at least undesirable.

It is among the objects of this invention; to provide a cabinet for storage purposes with a concealed access panel for the trap of a tub; to provide a novel operative association of a cabinet and a tub; to provide a bathroom fixture comprised of a cabinet having an opening to receive a tub wall; to provide a bathroom fixture which overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art; to provide a cabinet with rough brass fittings in perfect fixed mechanically correct relation to a wall of the cabinet; to provide an improved tub for association with a cabinet; to provide a cabinet with walls partially defining a plumbing compartment and a tub having a surface com- 5 pleting the compartment; to provide a cabinet with a wall for the support of the rough brass valve elements for a tub to predetermine the extended spindle length and avoid replacements thereof; to provide a combined cabinet and tub of low price and installation cost; to reduce the costs of bathroom fixtures; to provide an im proved bathroom storage cabinet; to provide a bathroom fixture comprising a cabinet for the support of a lavatory, having an end wall cut away, to receive a portion of a tub, with valves for the tub mounted permanently on the end wall above the out; to provide a bathroom fixture of a lavatoryecabinet and an independent tub in operative association, with valve elements for the tub mounted on a cabinet wall, with the 5 drain and overfiow elements of the tub accessible within the cabinet, with means in the cabinet normally concealing said drain elements; and many other objects and advantages will become more apparent as the description proceeds.

In the accompanying drawing, forming part of this description,

Fig. 1 represents a plan of an assembled lavatory, cabinet and tub according to a preferred embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 2 represents a front elevation of the same.

Fig. 3 represents a transverse section through the cabinet.

Fig. 4 represents a fragmentary horizontal section through an associated cabinet and tub.

Fig. 5 represents a fragmentary vertical section through the edge of the cut away panel and the end wall of the associated tub.

A preferred embodiment of the invention involves the provision of a stiff and rigid metallic cabinet having four walls suitably braced and reinforced as to be quite strong and rigid. Thus a rear wall 9 and an end wall in may be so disposed and arranged as to be set in the plaster ll of the wall of the room in which the fixture is to be mounted and includes a front exposed panel H2 in which the doors l3 and It are hingedly mounted. These three listed walls may be of relatively light gauge material while the end panel l5, completing the enclosure at the top of the combination, has a termination in an edge It leaving an opening ill in the end of the cabinet to be subsequently filled by the end of a tub to be described. The cabinet has the front wall it cut away as at It tofurnish clearance for the toes of the lavatory-user, and is provided with a bottom shelf, or false bottom 20 extending completely across the cabinet laterally to reinforce all of the walls except end wall It, and toward the tub end terminates in a vertical supporting .5 flange is, extending to the floor spaced from the line of end panel it, as to form a wall of a vertical opening 2! so as to establish internal clearance behind the end panel l5 below the sub-floor for a purpose to be discussed. A suitable removable shelf 22 and allied internal bracing and the like, will be provided as to secure the storage advantages of the cabinet construction and which shelf will terminate toward panel It in the removable sliding vertical access panel 23 extending perpendicularly to door l3 when it is closed and normally concealed by such door. The hinge line of the door I3 will preferably be close to but slightly spaced from sliding panel 23. The access panel 23 is normally substantially parallel to the abbreviated end panel I5 so as to form a substantially rectangular compartmental space 24, communicating with the opening 2| defined by the flange IQ of the false bottom 20, so that withdrawal of the access panel 23 permits entry into the plumbing compartment 24.

The tub 25 will be of any desired form and construction as to fit within the desired bathroom space but it is important that it have an end 26 arranged to extend laterally in the opening I! under the terminal edge [6 of the panel I5 and to have a bead or lip 2'! toengage behind the panel l5 above the edge 16 thereof, substantially, so that a suitable water tight joint may be made therewith as by gasket means 29. The tub is suitably provided with an overfiow pipe 28 and a drain 30 leading to a trap 3| and the tub is usually and preferably installed first and the connection of drain and trap fittings completed before the rectangular lavatory supporting cabinet is moved downwardly with recess I'I receiving the tub end, to overlapping hooked engagement of edge l6 of end panel I5 over the lip of the end of the tub, as should be clear. Obviously the access panel, shelf and possibly the doors will have to be removed at this stage of the proceedings.

The mere mounting of the cabinet over the end of the tub in the manner just described, brings the overflow and drain and trap into the plumbing compartment 24 of the cabinet and as this is completely concealed by the cabinet and additionally concealed by the access panel when it is inserted, the advantage of the combination just described will be evident.

A feature of great economy lies in the provision of the relatively heavy and stiff partial end panel l5, of heavier gauge than the other walls of the cabinet, in the preferred embodiment. It will be understood that for this purpose the end panel will be suitably braced and reinforced from adjacent walls and the like as may be desired. A rigid bracket 32 is mounted on the end panel I5 by suitable means such as welding and the like, either singly or in duplicate so as to engage and firmly hold a transverse supply pipe 33 leading from the respective valve bodies 34 and 35 to a distribution or mixing element 36 centrally of the valves. The bracket 32 will be suitably provided with vibration absorbing or damping material to minimize noise, such as felt or rubber or the like and will be proportioned to the valve elements as to hold the valves rigidly in predetermined fixed mechanical relation to the exposed surface of the panel, to cause the spindle ends to protrude through apertures 36' in the face of the panel I5, so that the trimmings will invariably fit snugly and properly when the installation is completed. It will be understood that the valve elements 34 and 35 are to receive the water supply lines, respectively 31 and 38 which would also normally be disposed in the plumbing compartment 24 of the cabinet and either extend from below the floor or from the wall behind the cabinet, or wherever desired. Obviously a line or conduit 39 from a mixing valve on the panel 15 may extend laterally to the wall above the tub so as to bring the water to the tub in the form of a shower.

Suitable supply and drainage lines will be provided to take care of the faucets 40 and 4| and the drain 43 of the lavatory 44. The lavatory may be of any desired construction and include a bowl 45 and is usually of such size and proportion as to close the upper part of the cabinet with an ornamental effect, after the cabinet is installed.

The advantages in installation, manufacturing costs and neatness of appearance will be obvious, as will also the fact that many changes may be made in the invention without departure from the spirit theerof, as set forth in the appended claims, except as the latter may be otherwise specifically limited.

I claim as my invention:

I. In bathroom fixtures, means defining a cabinet having a storage compartment, and having a plumbing compartment, with removable means separating the compartments.

2. In bathroom fixtures, a cabinet comprising walls, a movable panel vertically disposed in the cabinet in spaced relation to an end wall, said end wall being cut away to form a recess to receive the end of a tub.

3. In bathroom fixtures, a cabinet comprising a front and an end wall, said end wall being cut away toward the bottom to form a terminal edge, a false bottom engaging the front wall spaced from the lower edge thereof, a transverse panel mounted in the cabinet substantially perpendicularly of the front wall in spaced parallel relation to the said end wall and substantially perpendicularly of said panel, said panel and end wall defining a plumbing compartment.

4. In bathroom fixtures, a cabinet comprising a front and an end wall, the end wall being cut away to form a tub receiving aperture, water dis tribution means having spindles mounted fixedly on the end wall above the aperture, and said end wall having apertures in which said spindles of the means are rotatable.

5. In bathroom fixtures, a cabinet comprising a front and an end wall, said end wall being cut away toward the bottom to form a terminal edge, a false bottom engaging the front wall spaced from the lower edge thereof, a transverse panel mounted in the cabinet substantially perpendicularly of the front wall in spaced parallel relation to the said end wall and substantially perpendicularly of said panel, said panel and end wall defining a plumbing compartment, water distributing means mounted permanently on the end wall in said plumbing compartment.

6. In bathroom fixtures, in combination, a cabinet comprising a front and an end wall, said end wall cut away to form a tub receiving aperture, a transverse access panel removably mounted in the cabinet in substantial parallelism with the said end wall to form a plumbing compartment concealed by the panel and front wall, a tub having a portion extending into the aperture and completing the plumbing compartment, drainage elements connected with the tub and disposed in such plumbing compartment.

'7. In bathroom fixtures, a tub having drainage elements connected to a surface thereof, a cabinet having a cut away end wall arranged to engage the tub in overlapping engagement with the said surface to house the drainage elements.

8. In bathroom fixtures, a cabinet having an end panel cut away toward the lower end, water P distribution elements mounted inwardly of the panel. I

9. In bathroom fixtures, a tub having drainage elements connected to a surface thereof, a cabinet having a cut away end wall arranged to engage the tub in overlapping engagement with the said surface to house the drainage elements, water valves for supplying said tub mounted in predetermined relation on said end wall above the tub.

10. In bathroom fixtures, a cabinet comprising Walls, a movable panel vertically disposed in the cabinet in spaced relation to an end wall, said end wall being cut away to form a recess to receive the end of a tub, and a tub having a sloping end arranged to extend into said recess with a part of said end at a higher level than the lower edge of said end wall and with the end wall substantially contacting said sloping end to enhance water tightness at the line of contact between the end and end wall.

11. In bathroom fixtures, means defining a cabinet having a front wall, door means in said wall, said cabinet having an end wall perpendicular to the front Wall, a tub having an end wall substantially perpendicular to said front wall in substantially vertical alignment with the said end wall, the door means giving access to the end of the tub within the cabinet means and concealing same when closed, a drain trap for the tub located operatively to the tub within the 10 limits of the defined cabinet.

AMANDA P. DRUCKENMILLER. 

